Nailah
by BrightLightsBiggerCity
Summary: What if Atem never bet Yugi in the final duel? What happens when his past wife turns up in present day Domino only to find him in love with his best friend Tea. Alone in a strange city with a heavy heart she finds herself falling into the open arms of her husband's greatest enemy.
1. Prologue

_**Nailah**___

_**Prologue**_

The pain was indescribable. The sheer agony of betrayal found it's way through my blood, the slow simmer of suspicion boiled rapidly beneath my skin as my worst fear was confirmed. I will never forget the way he looked at me. His eyes pleaded for remorse, like a beggar who was caught red handed with a loaf of stolen bread. He held perfectly still, stunned even, as he held her doll like hand in his. I watched briefly the way his thumb rubbed the back of her hand as if to let her know he would stand beside her; to show he was hers.

"How could you?" I spoke, my voice so quiet they only just heard.

"Nailah..." he whispered back.

Then silence. He couldn't find the words and I couldn't stay to hear them.

The heat grew with each second I remained there. When I eventually drew up the courage to run from the house I had created a steam so thick it clouded my vision. I didn't know where I was going but I knew it didn't matter, I would run forever and eventually fall off the earth for all I cared. It was hard to breathe, even in the crisp air of the winter's night. I wasn't dressed for such an evening but my body was numb enough to withstand the cold.

Disbelief of the whole situation arose as I took shelter under a bus stop, not far from my temporary home. My limp, golden hair clung to the sides of my face as I looked to the night.

I was being punished by the Gods, I knew that for sure, but why me? Why not that adulterous whore Tea?

"Tea."

"Tea."

"Tea."

I laughed as I spat her name. Oh, how I hated that name, how I hated her. How could I have been so blind? How had I not seen the way he looked at her? At how she followed him around like a sheep to its Shepard. How every time he reminisced there she was, a shadow in his memory, the 'friend' that stuck by him, that found his name hidden among his forgotten memories. Where was I? Why was I never found? Ra! I wish her dead! She destroyed my world... they both did.

Everything I was, everything I lived for was falling apart around me in this strange new world. I sank into a puddle on the footpath, with my legs outstretched. I watched through a blur these things they called cars raced past at high speed. The reflection of their headlights danced off the puddles, it was hypnotizing to watch, I imagined that was how my husband thought when he watched his mistress dance. I cringed at the thought as more tears fell, somewhat camouflaged by the rain, I wept for my dying heart.

_His face inched closer and in a blink of an eye his lips found hers. I watched the way he ran his hands down her pale neck as he deepened the kiss. I saw the way her checks flushed a crimson red as she breathed those fateful words._

_"I love you Atem..."_

_He pulled away gently to stare into her bright blue eyes. He brushed her hair behind her ears and ran his hands down her arms, reaching for her hands. He said nothing for a moment as he stared at the woman before him. To me his silence had said it all. I remember so clearly, the day he stood in front of me, the day he held me as he did her now, promising silently as he stared into my soul, that he would love and hold me for all of eternity._

My mind replayed that moment more times than I could count. I couldn't understand how those simple words that once brought me so much joy could cause the ground to shatter beneath my feet.

_"I love you..." He finally spoke, jabbing the dagger deeper into my heart._

Oh how I will despise those words for all eternity. How I will despise him... her... love... I will never again allow myself to love... never... ever...

_**Hello to all my readers. The idea for this story has been playing on my mind for a while now, so thought I better jot it down. Let me know what you think so far by hitting review or dropping me a private message. I do promise a new chapter of The Immortal Game will be up soon. xx.**_


	2. Chapter One

Chapter 1

The rain poured from the sky as the Gods above cried for my loss. I had no idea of the time, but it took me what seemed like hours to build up my will to move. I sat with my head cradled to my knees, my clothes soaked to the core. My body shook lightly as the wind picked up. People would stop and stare briefly as they passed but it didn't worry me. Some spoke to me but I couldn't comprehend what they had said. They spoke in a foreign tongue, one I could not get my head around. I had only just grasped the mere basics of Japanese in the short time I had resided in Domino. I did not want to learn more as I did not want to stay here. I wanted to go home to Egypt, and I had wanted to take my husband with me.

My legs wobbled as I eventually stood. I grasped the pole beside me for support and when I was certain I would not fall I continued my walk of shame. I traveled the streets alone, being isolated in my thoughts only exacerbated the sense of hopelessness and despair. I rubbed the tears from my eyes, I was no longer sad but rather enraged.

The rain soon stopped and all seemed calm. The night had fallen to its darkest moment and the streets were as alone as I. I replayed the evening over and over, when my mind tired of that it traveled back over the last few weeks. I tried to think what Atem saw now in Tea that he no longer did in me. Maybe it was this new world that had brainwashed him. Taken over his mind it made him forget who he was, the husband he was, the King he was...

Maybe I am not as pretty in his eyes anymore, maybe I am not smart enough, not as talented as she. She smiled more than I, had more friends than I. Everyone loved to be around her... I sighed, people used to love to be around me too.

My legs tired from my walk but I had finally made it to a park and soon spotted a bench. I approached it and sat down, my eyes became heavy so it wasn't long before I chose to lay down. I knew it was dangerous to be out here but at the time I didn't care. I stared to the sky but could not see even one star. I wondered if anyone was out looking for me. I prayed silently not to be found.

I closed my eyes for the shortest of time before I felt the presence of a stranger slowly approach. They sat down silently on the bench beside my legs. I didn't want to open my eyes for I was afraid I was going to meet my death.

"Not a suitable resting place for a Queen," the voice chuckled in Egyptian.

My mind knew the voice but I couldn't place the face. I had to open my eyes and when I did I sat up in shock. The stranger grabbed my legs so I could not run.

"Bakura..." the terror in my voice as I spoke his name was unmistakable and amused him greatly.

"You should be more careful my dear, there are a lot of dangerous people around..."

His grin sent chills down my spine.

"I thought he destroyed you..." I whispered, speaking mainly to myself.

"Who? Your husband? Ha! I am the darkness I cannot be destroyed." he retorted.

I didn't say anything to his remark, I didn't know what to say, but he soon broke the silence.

"I'm surprised he let you out of his sight. Let alone let you sleep out here like a dog."

I wanted to be silent, I didn't want him to know but I couldn't keep my thoughts to myself, they burned at my mind and it pained me to keep them trapped.

"Well there wasn't exactly enough room in the bed for all three of us..."

This time it was Bakura who was silent.

"Oh as if you didn't know" I spat.

He stared at me quizzically.

"I have absolutely no clue as to what you are on about woman!"

"Atem no longer loves me he's in love with Tea!" I yelled, breaking into tears as I said it aloud.

The look on Bakura's face implied he regretted sitting down. He didn't take to well with crying women.

He sat for a moment and watched me cry before getting frustrated and letting go of my legs. He stood up and began walking away. I looked up through blurred vision and saw him stop a few meters up the path.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked as he turned around.

"What?" I asked back confused.

"Well, you can't exactly sleep here..."

I didn't know what to do. He was right I couldn't stay here, but I couldn't go with him either... could I? He was the enemy. My husband's enemy. I laughed at the irony, the only kind soul offering help was the one we had all wished to kill.

"I am not going to wait here all night!" he yelled.

I scrambled to my feet and ran to his side. He looked at me like no-one had ever before... with sympathy.

"You look awful." He spoke as he looked away from me. The sympathetic moment was short lived.

"Thanks." I sighed.

A small smile, the first of the evening, crept to my lips as I followed obediently beside him.


	3. Chapter Two

_**Chapter Two**_

I'm always amazed by the memories we keep and the ones that are so easily forgotten. Why can some be so vividly replayed in the mind and others lost forever? Is it necessarily the memorable are those that are life changing, or is it just merely the feeling of elevation or depression we felt at that time that forces us to remember?

Some of my earliest memories are that of my mother. She would sing to me every night before bed, religiously without fail. I will never forget her voice nor the songs she sang. I don't believe these evenings were life changing, but I was happy because everything in my world seemed perfect. I was young, too young to yet realize what an evil world we lived in. I miss those days but not as much as I miss her. I remember clearly a dream I had of her the day she passed away. I was crying by the river and she approached to comfort me. I couldn't speak to her because I was too sad. Too sad to even tell her how much I loved her. She took me in her arms and promised me everything would be okay. Time heals everything she had said before her body slowly crumbled to ash.

The night Bakura found me at my lowest is another memory etched permanently in my mind. I can remember every step we took, every breath I breathed, every word spoken between us. We walked in unison with an uncomfortable silence lingering over us. Although the rain had now stopped we didn't have to venture far for he only took me to the seaside. There was large boat docked in the harbour. He told me it was a house boat an old acquaintance had left to him. I wasn't sure he told the truth but I dared not argue.

He jumped onto the boat's deck with ease, turning around he then held out his hand for me. I hesitated all the while my mind screamed 'Run!'

I pushed the thought aside and gave in quickly to his demand; allowing him to take my hand. His grip was tight and in a way possessive but he guided me aboard making sure I would not fall. I thanked him as he let me down safely. He didn't say anything but I hadn't expected someone like him to be fluent with manners. I stood still not knowing where to go.

"Sit." He ordered me as he pointed to a fold out chair on the deck. I looked down at the wet seat and noticed from the corner of my eye he disappeared through a hole in the floor and into the heart of the boat.

Once again I did as I was told. I did not have to wait long before he re-emerged from below. He returned with two glasses in one hand and a tall bottle in the other. He placed them all down on the small table beside me and removed the towel he had draped over his shoulder. He dropped it down over my head, and I pulled it off with a fright. I saw him grin smugly to himself and despite this I thanked him again for his unusual kindness.

I tried to dry myself as best I could while I watched as he proceeded to pour some form of drink from the bottle and into the crystal glass.

"This will warm you up." His voice lured as he handed the glass cup to me.

I took it to my lips very hesitantly as I caught scent of the intoxicating golden liquid within.

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

"Just drink it!" I remember he ordered strongly as he poured his own potent glass.

I took the glass to my lips once again and closed my eyes, before I knew what I had done I had swallowed it whole. I remember clearly though, how awful it was to drink. It burned my mouth and all the way down my throat before it settled in the pit of my stomach. I coughed violently when I was done, tears even escaped my eyes.

Bakura was greatly amused by this. He sat there like the devil; he was enjoying my suffering. When I had finished embarrassing myself he spoke.

"Would you like another glass?"

I looked at him as if he were out of his mind but as my stomach warmed and my mind relaxed the next words out of mouth proved to me that I was the crazy one.

"Why not..." I sighed.

He took the glass from my hand and filled it up once again, handing it to me he stood there in front of me, tall and intimidating. He twirled the liquid in his own glass then gently took a long sip. I stared at him as if trying to read his mind. He was a strange man. Not nearly a gentleman but pure brawn none the less. My eyes fixed on the scar on the right of his cheek. I had never noticed it before that night. However, I guess I had never been as close to him as I got that night. He noticed me staring and when I realised what I was doing our eyes locked. My heart stopped momentarily, I hoped not to have upset him.

"Are you wondering how I got this scar, Nailah?" He asked, his voice raspy.

I thought it best not to lie to him, so I nodded slowly.

It was at that exact moment that the sky lit up and the God's roared above. Within a matter of seconds the rain began to fall as heavily as it had earlier. I almost threw my glass on the table as I reached for the towel and wrapped it around my head. Bakura took the bottle from the table and told me to follow him inside. I rescued my glass from the table and hurried after him. It wasn't until we descended down the stairwell that I realised how relieved I was to be out of the cold evening air. I was wet and cold but had little energy to seem to have cared at the time.

Bakura led me to a room I assumed to be his. It was small, plain and not quite to the standard I was accustomed to. There was a bed, small table and desk. A little round window sat above the bed and I could see how bleak the weather had become. I laughed inwardly at the irony around how bleak my life had turned. Indeed almost as quickly as the rain had come.

I looked toward Bakura who lay himself of the bed. He closed his eyes as if he had forgotten I was there. I looked down at my drink and swirled it the way I saw him do earlier. It seemed to numb my pain and I welcomed it fully. Bakura still with his eyes closed asked if I were to stand there all evening.

I watched his resting frame and wondered what kind of name I would make of myself back home if anyone were to find out I had shared the bed of a thief.

As if reading my mind he told me it didn't worry him if I chose to sleep on the floor.

I watched him smirk as he mocked me, I responded snobbishly "It may be alright for you but a Queen doesn't sleep on the floor..."

**I hope everyone is enjoying this story so far. I'm enjoying writing it so that's all that matters I guess... hmm I'm not sure I can let Nailah and Bakura go to sleep in wet clothes... they might catch a cold and we wouldn't want that would we? Well I'll leave you with that image in mind... until next time... BYE! **


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